NHL, NBA make moves in effort to stem COVID-19 surge

The National Hockey league and the National Basketball Association took measures Sunday to try and control the COVID-19 outbreak sweeping both leagues.

The NHL and its players association temporarily clamped down on teams crossing the Canadian border and shut down operations of two more teams on Sunday for a total of seven in hopes of salvaging the season as COVID-19 outbreaks spread across the league.

The Detroit Red Wings and the Toronto Maple Leafs were added to the list of teams told to shut down operations, joining the Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers, Calgary Flames, Nashville Predators and Boston Bruins.

Canadian-based teams will not play U.S.-based teams from Monday through Thursday ahead of the league’s holiday break (Dec. 24 through Dec. 26). Those postponed games are expected be rescheduled.

The league said the decision was made, in part, because of the “fluid nature of federal travel restrictions.”

“We will continue to play the 2021-22 regular season schedule,” the NHL and NHLPA said Sunday in a joint statement. “Although there has been a recent increase in positive COVID test results among players, coaches and hockey staff, there have been a low number of positive cases that have resulted in concerning symptoms or serious illness.”

All told, 27 games have been postponed through Saturday and 12 more through Thursday will be pushed to another date. Roughly 10% of the 700-plus players were in the league’s virus protocol as of Saturday.

The Los Angeles Kings were supposed to host the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday, but that’s been postponed. Kings coach Todd McLellan said it’s “a very uneasy time right now for the players and the people who are involved in the game.”

“What’s strange for us … is that we have players for the most part that are feeling perfectly fine that are being pulled from the game. We’ve got a bit of a flu bug, cough, the typical winter stuff going through our team. Those players are playing, which is odd, but I get the protocols,” he said. “I get the health directives, and I do believe we’re in good hands.”

McLellan added that it’s difficult at this time of the year because “there’s little ones at home with wives, and family becomes really, really important and we’ll have a bunch of happy players that are getting on that plane, and the ones that we have to leave behind, we’re going to get them home. We’ll figure out a way.”

The Winnipeg Jets were the only Canadian team playing Sunday — hosting and beating the St. Louis Blues 4-2 — after three games involving Canadian teams already were postponed.

“I think the big thing is when you win a hockey game you want to play the next day,” Jets interim coach Dave Lowry said. “This will take us out of it for a couple days. But what it will allow us to do is get back and work on some details in our game that we hope to continue to improve on.”

Jets center Mark Scheifele said the team learned of the postponements moments after the game.

All of the COVID-19 disruptions may lead to NHL players staying home instead of participating in the Winter Olympics in less than two months. The NHL has said players can compete in Beijing unless the coronavirus becomes a problem.

The league has until Jan. 10 to opt out of the Winter Games without financial penalty, but it retains the right to cancel its plans up until players are scheduled to travel to Beijing. The NHL and NHLPA said it will announce a final decision in the coming days.

Scheifele called the uncertainty “concerning.”

“It’s not in our hands anymore, you know what I mean? You just got to trust in the plan and just keep on doing what you do … and hope for the best,” he said.

Detroit’s home game against Colorado on Monday had been postponed because of the Avs’ COVID pause, and the Red Wings’ trip to Minnesota for Thursday’s game was called off. The Maple Leafs had only one game on the schedule ahead of the holiday break, but the cross-border decision already postponed it.

To slow the spread of the coronavirus, the NHL and the NHLPA agreed to daily testing and other enhanced protocols through Jan. 1, with an evaluation no later than Jan. 7.

NBA postpones 5 games

The NBA on Sunday postponed a total of five games involving nine teams in response to rising coronavirus numbers, raising the number of contests that have been pushed back this season to seven.

Called off were three Sunday games: Cleveland at Atlanta, Denver at Brooklyn and New Orleans at Philadelphia. Also shelved were Orlando’s game at Toronto on Monday and Washington’s game at Brooklyn on Tuesday.

The postponements came on the same day that Atlanta announced star guard Trae Young entered the league’s health and safety protocols and the Los Angeles Lakers said coach Frank Vogel also was added to the list.

Leaguewide, through Sunday evening, there were at least 75 players from 20 teams who have either been ruled out to play — or in the case of the postponed games, would have been ruled out — because they are in the protocols. That number has soared in recent days, with the NBA just one of many sports leagues worldwide dealing with a rapidly worsening issue.

“This isn’t going to go away today, tomorrow or the next day,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said Sunday. “This is going to be here for a while.”

U.S. officials are expecting a wave of breakthrough infections among the vaccinated given the surge of holiday travelers and gatherings expected in the coming days. The NBA has said 97% of players are fully vaccinated and somewhere around 60% had received boosters as of last week. It was not clear how many of the current positive cases involve those who are ineligible for a booster shot or those who have chosen not to receive one.

Kidd said that his team discussed concerns about COVID-related issues before his team played the Lakers — a team with multiple players in protocols — last week.

The league and the National Basketball Players Association have been discussing a plan in which teams in desperate need of players would be able to sign reinforcements to 10-day contracts but without those deals impacting salary cap and luxury tax figures. That deal has not yet been finalized, though talks are continuing.

The Cavaliers had five players enter the protocols on Sunday, the team said. All five — center Jarrett Allen, forwards Lamar Stevens and Dylan Windler and guards Denzel Valentine and RJ Nembhard — tested positive for COVID-19, according to a person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team did not release that specific detail.

They joined Isaac Okoro and Evan Mobley, who entered the protocols previously.

Vogel wasn’t on the bench when his Lakers played Sunday at Chicago. David Fizdale will coach in Vogel’s place, the Lakers said. The Bulls returned to the court after having two games postponed last week.

A number of assistant coaches and referees are also in the protocols, along with the 75 players. Among the players added Sunday was Golden State’s Andrew Wiggins, who was reluctantly vaccinated before the season to play home games in San Francisco.

In Phoenix on Sunday, officials Zach Zarba and Eric Dalen were both scheduled to work the Suns game against Charlotte but were later put into the protocols. Bill Kennedy was brought in to work the game as part of a two-man crew with Brent Barnaky.

Chicago still doesn’t have all of its players back yet, either. Among those listed as out Sunday and still in protocols is Olympic gold medalist Zach LaVine.

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